In preparation for the part of Harry MacAfee in Bye Bye Birdie, I'm relying on years of experience as a middle aged father of two.
I realize now after thinking about it that I saw this play in college - which I forgot- as well as the movie and several versions on YouTube.
The YouTube option is great for seeing free things, but it misled me with Saturday Night Fever. I went to prepare for that audition and I couldn't find a YouTube version that I could stomach. I watched them. I tried. But if they were that painful once or twice I couldn't imagine wanting to hear those songs over and over. If I want to hear high-quality disco sung like crap- I'll just pass, thank you.
But the production at Lake Worth Playhouse wasn't sung like crap. The best thing was the singer; in fact. In the other versions it was painful to listen to someone who still couldn't sing disco, singing disco, but playing the part of someone who could sing disco.
I love these songs so much as they are performed in pop music. But put in that belting stage voice on it and they are ruined pretty quick.
I think I'll just audition for everything from now on.
The issue with Harry MacAfee is that he is either played by a guy who can't dance- who is dancing a lot, or he's played by someone who can dance and you sit there wondering why the lame middle aged father of two is kind of cool. Worse; you wonder why Birdie and/or the other guy that are supposed to be cool- aren't as cool as he is.
Well, I've solved this problem. Either Harry should purposely be a bad dancer- because that can be entertaining- unlike a bad dancer trying to be a good dancer- or he shouldn't dance much. The dance numbers should all be cut in half anyway.
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